


Even Emperors Need a Day Off

by AngelOfDarkus



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Edling Week, Established Relationship, M/M, Post-Canon, Proposals, Soft Kisses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:42:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26872354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelOfDarkus/pseuds/AngelOfDarkus
Summary: Ling decided to spend a lazy day with Ed and ends up making some important decisions.foredling week 2020october 3:  memories / future /post-canon
Relationships: Edward Elric/Ling Yao
Comments: 11
Kudos: 85





	Even Emperors Need a Day Off

"Ling" Ed shook his partner. "Ling, wake up!" He had just opened his eyes and the room was way too bright.

Sunlight was pouring through the window, the curtains had been tied to the side lighting up the room in a bright glow. He glanced at the clock, his eyes opening wide. It was almost noon, much later than they usually woke up.

Ling groaned, "No."

"It's really late," he looked at the Emperor of Xing who kept his eyes closed. His long black hair covered part of his face and the rest spilled behind him over the pillow.

"No." Ling rolls over, closer to Ed, and wraps an arm and leg around him. When Ed fought against being trapped like that, Ling only hugged him harder and said "No, you're not allowed to leave."

Ed managed to free an arm that he used to push back Ling's hair from his face and softly kiss his cheek. "You can't stay in bed all day."

"I'm the emperor, yes I can." He grabbed Ed's free hand and pecked it in return. Ed's cheeks turned pink and Ling smiled. It was decided. "You know what, I'm taking a day off."

"Great, let go of me first."

"Never. I'm taking the day off to spend time with my fiance!" Ling declared brightly.

Ed opened his mouth to reply but he stopped. A few seconds of silence passed and all he could reply with was, "Fiance?"

"I want to marry you, Edward Elric," Ling said without hesitating. Their eyes met and for the first time in a while, Ling felt butterflies in his stomach.

"Really?" Ed choked out.

"Yes, really. Why wouldn't I?" He pulled Ed in closer and kissed him. He murmured "I love you" against his lips.

"I love you too," Ed replied, face turning even redder. He never was able to say these things easily even after they've been together for about 7 years.

"I want to stay with you forever. You're so intelligent and motivated. You are so caring and loving. I love everything about you. I want to-" 

"Okay, okay I get it, stop," Ed covered Ling's mouth with a hand.

"But I want to shower you with compliments and love," Ling complained, words muffled. He took advantage of the situation and kissed Ed's hand again.

Ed quickly pulled his hand back. "Ling!"

Said emperor laughed carelessly. He finally sat up and stretched his arms and back. Ed took the chance to slip out of bed and out of Ling's reach.

"Hah!" He childishly stuck his tongue out.

Ling replied by sticking his own tongue out at him.

A knock from outside the door signaled that it was Lan Fan. "Are you finally up? Breakfast will be sent here shortly."

"Okay~" Ling answered.

Ed grabbed a towel from the side and made his way to the bathroom. "At least change into something presentable, your highness," he said.

"How about I get refreshed with you first?"

"Hell no, stay out here."

Ling hummed. "Didn't think last night would tire you out that much."

Ed sputtered and turned around quickly, "Says you who still can't get out of bed." 

Ling was NOT expecting that. His face flushed a little as he pretended to be unbothered, "I can but I choose not to."

Ed made a noise that very clearly indicated that he didn't believe him. He smirked as he took his shirt off before he entered the bathroom, enjoying the look of surprise on Ling's face. 

"You're mean today, Ed, right after I proposed to you, too," he complained, face even redder than before.

"All's fair in love and war, my fiance," Ed shot back with a grin, his loosened hair now falling over his shoulders.

Ling's heart swelled at the word fiance. He fell back onto the bed and grinned at the ceiling. He knew he made the right choice.

Last night, even though Ling was tired, he couldn't fall asleep so he and Ed talked for hours about everything. The future, the past, even politics which Ed hated, and alchemy which Ling only partially understood. Ed's voice became drowsier and he eventually had fallen asleep. Ling could only stare as the moonlight lit his face in an ethereal glow. He never wanted their time together to end. The courts knew something about their relationship but Ling decided at that moment that he wanted all of his people to know.

"You better not be asleep," he heard Ed say as he walked out of the bathroom. He wore an Amestris style red shirt and black pants with a robe hanging open on top. The robe was black with gold and red designs over. Ling recognizes it as one he gifted to him a few months ago.

"I'm not," Ling answered, sitting up and looking at his fiance up and down, "Was admiring the view."

"Flirt," Ed shook his head in mock disappointment. He kissed the top of Ling's head taking advantage of being taller when his fiance was sitting. "Go wash up now before you get distracted by food."

Ling obliged, grabbing his clothes. He went through the motions in the shower, washing his hair, rinsing soap off his body, and rubbing fragrant oil into his skin. He slipped into lighter clothes than he'd normally wear. He came back into the room to find Ed sitting on a mat on the floor with a table of food in front of him and a book in his lap.

"What is this betrayal?" He yelled, rubbing his damp hair with a towel, "You started eating without me!" 

"I was hungry," Ed replied with a glance in his direction and then went back to his book.

Ling grabbed his chin and that's when Ed got a good look at what he was wearing, or rather what he wasn't wearing. Ling wore an untied dark purple robe with nothing underneath besides loose white pants. Ed felt his face heat up because of the proximity. He gulped down air but didn't look away.

This didn't go unnoticed by Ling who raised an eyebrow, "Like what you see?" 

"No," Ed replied stubbornly. Ling laughed in response and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

"I guess I have to reconsider my proposal then." He sat down next to him and grabbed a plate from the table.

"I can just propose to you then. Ling Yao, you idiot prince-"

"Emperor." Ling took a bite of the bread Ed was holding.

"Let me finish," Ed huffed, "you idiot prince turned emperor. Marry me." 

"Figures you'd say something like this," Ling commented without answering. He looked at Ed whose face was still red. He leaned in and said, "Fine. I accept. I'll marry you." and gave him a peck on the nose.

Apparently, it was possible for Ed to get even redder, "L-ling" he started to say but looked away.

"Yes?" 

"Wǒ zhǐ shǔ yú nǐ." Ed still avoided eye contact. 

Ling dropped the plate he'd been holding and grabbed Ed. He knew Ed knew basic Xingese but they were already used to speaking to each other in Amestrian. "Say that again," He demanded.

Ed squeaked in surprise and the book in his lap fell to the ground. "I was barely able to say it once, now you want it again?" 

"Say it every day, I'll never tire of hearing you say it," Ling said seriously, looking right into his lover's eyes.

"It means 'I only belong to you,' right?" Ed said it quietly, in Amestrian this time.

Ling nodded and leaned in closer, pressing their foreheads together, hands already running through Ed's golden hair. "Yes, it's quite romantic. Where did you learn that?"

"I read it in a book..." He trailed off as Ling distracted him with a searing kiss.

Ling's heart felt like it was simultaneously floating and sinking in his chest. The world was revolving but it was completely still. Loving Ed meant accepting that the idiosyncrasies of the universe fit into one tiny (although he'd argue he was average height) man. The man who was somehow the same yet so different than the first time they'd met in Rush Valley all those years ago. The man he was going to marry.

Ling buried his face in Ed's neck. "Wǒ ài nǐ," he said, intertwining their hands, "I love you. In every language, in every country, in every lifetime." 

"So sappy," Ed replied with a soft laugh. He brought Ling's hand up to his lips. "I love you too, beyond forever."

**Author's Note:**

> so it's edling week and im still stuck in edling hell so i have some more planned but it's also midterm season so /sweats we'll see.  
> i just wanted to write some soft bois. (also if the chinese is wrong i'm sorry, that's what the internet told me)


End file.
